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Some of the maple I have has as tight grain as koa, so I thought that dyed maple could pass for a poor man koa.

I'm sure you're right. A dyed brown maple could be a poor man's kao. However, would you want a poor man's anything on your knives? You work pretty damn hard on these knives, and you're getting a lot of positive response as the result. Using a dyed product doesn't seem to match your aesthetics and what your knife is promising. I'm not opposed to dyed handles, as I just bought one, but it just doesn't seem right for you.

FWIW, I also agree with Don and Rick. While brown dyed tiger maple would still work, I do like the simple understated elegance and natural look of your handles, so I would not use much dyed anything in your position either. And I also agree that redwood is a good option, be it burl or heart wood.

marko, what i like especially about your knives is the aesthetic factor. your knives are sublime, they are so beautiful, classy, natural beauties. i have nothing against dyed wood (even though i cannot imagine getting a handle made of dyed wood for myself), but i would offer that as a custom option, not for stock knives. i believe part of your reputation is for the aesthetics of your knives, i wouldn't change much about it.

how about a limited choice of buckeye? i have a piece of stabilized buckeye which features kind of a natural ferrule. i mean, it's rather light wood with only a bit of black/grey on one side. it definitely would look similar to a classic ho-wood handle with a black horn ferrule, but made of a single piece of wood.

I will look into different options, but ideally would be for me to pick up wood locally, so I can inspect it in person. I also like to buy a larger quantity, as there are several grades in one board. I will see how it goes.

"All beauty that has no foundation in use, soon grows distasteful and needs continuous replacement with something new." The Shakers' saying.